Tweet
Yesterday morning I was at a bit of a loss as to what I was going to do that day. Big T had decided to visit Ajay at the La Casa Del Habano in Teddington and I had decided against the option previously in the week due to MASSIVE budget constraints resulting in me not being able to spend money. After finishing my (late) shopping for fathers day I decided I would head over to Teddington for a smoke at at pub with SeanP and T when he was finished at Ajay's. When Sean and I arrived and popped in to say hi – it was insisted upon us that we shouldn’t leave and an El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme was forced into each of our hands from a generous friend. In the lounge we spent the next couple of hours talking about various topics from racing to the oil crisis to the iPhone 4.
Afterwards, the pub was finally visited and we continued to smoke cigars. Sean smoked the Carlos Torano Virtuoso, which I happen to know is a great cigar, along side most of the cigars in the Calos Torano line. I smoked a “Christoff” I believe but unfortunately I was not impressed with the cigar.
Back at T's later that evening, after a hearty(attacky) meal (Dominos) Trevor and I lit up one of the newer cigars from Rocky Patel – The Patel Bros. Blended by Rocky's brother Nimesh.
Here is my brief review of the cigar:
Patel Bros Toro
Price: Approx $132 per box (equates to $6.60 a cigar though I think I paid about $8.50 for this cigar)
Ring gauge: 52
Length: 6.5"
Packaging: 20 per box
Taste: Full Bodied
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Pennsylvania grown broadleaf maduro
Appearance:
The cigar had an oily, dark wrapper, which is extremely attractive. The cigar just looked amazing and has been staring at me every time I have opened my humidor and I have been waiting to try this. There were a couple of bold veins in the wrapper, but aside from this it was perfect.
Score: 14/15
Draw / Burn:
Upon cutting the cigar and testing the draw – I had no complaints. The draw was definitely on the easy side but not too easy. It is the kind of draw I have come to expect from “New World” cigars and I am consistently contented by this. This was clearly a well constructed cigar.
After toasting the foot the cigar burned well with a couple of touch ups here and there as per usual – so all fine on this front, aside from the fact that about 2/3 of the way through the cigar it decided to stop giving out smoke for about 5 draws. Not sure why – they cigar hadn’t gone out as I could clearly see that the end was glowing. This was actually quite a slow burning cigar and must have lasted approx 2 hours.
Score: 18/20
Flavour & Complexity:
From the get go – SPICE. This was one mean cigar from the second it touched my lips. The first third contained strong overtones of ammonia, pepper and spice. The second and third thirds was just spice pepper, losing the ammonia, and not much else. As I have previously said – not the most dynamic of cigars. It is similar in strength the Cain lines though I would say slightly more dynamic but not much. I toward the end, some of the flavours were becoming slightly stronger and harsher, so I tried purging the cigar to see if it improved it, however it didn’t and I was not able to purge it as no tar etc. came out.... it appears that this cigar has been well made.
Score: 24/30
Overall:
This is by no means a cigar I shall be buying a box of but, although I haven’t said the nicest things about it above, I did actually quite enjoy it. I will probably, at some point in the future, pick up a couple of these to sit in my humidor for when I need a full bodied cigar, as an alternative to the Cain cigars. I also think that over time these cigars will mellow a LITTLE and become a more enjoyable smoke. I cannot compliment this cigar enough on its construction. I have to say that this cigar is probably one of the best constructed cigars I have ever smoked.
Score 30/35
Total: 86
Please take a look at the photos in the gallery below.
And no - i didnt really smoke the band - just messing :-p
Afterwards, the pub was finally visited and we continued to smoke cigars. Sean smoked the Carlos Torano Virtuoso, which I happen to know is a great cigar, along side most of the cigars in the Calos Torano line. I smoked a “Christoff” I believe but unfortunately I was not impressed with the cigar.
Back at T's later that evening, after a hearty(attacky) meal (Dominos) Trevor and I lit up one of the newer cigars from Rocky Patel – The Patel Bros. Blended by Rocky's brother Nimesh.
Here is my brief review of the cigar:
Patel Bros Toro
Price: Approx $132 per box (equates to $6.60 a cigar though I think I paid about $8.50 for this cigar)
Ring gauge: 52
Length: 6.5"
Packaging: 20 per box
Taste: Full Bodied
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Pennsylvania grown broadleaf maduro
Appearance:
The cigar had an oily, dark wrapper, which is extremely attractive. The cigar just looked amazing and has been staring at me every time I have opened my humidor and I have been waiting to try this. There were a couple of bold veins in the wrapper, but aside from this it was perfect.
Score: 14/15
Draw / Burn:
Upon cutting the cigar and testing the draw – I had no complaints. The draw was definitely on the easy side but not too easy. It is the kind of draw I have come to expect from “New World” cigars and I am consistently contented by this. This was clearly a well constructed cigar.
After toasting the foot the cigar burned well with a couple of touch ups here and there as per usual – so all fine on this front, aside from the fact that about 2/3 of the way through the cigar it decided to stop giving out smoke for about 5 draws. Not sure why – they cigar hadn’t gone out as I could clearly see that the end was glowing. This was actually quite a slow burning cigar and must have lasted approx 2 hours.
Score: 18/20
Flavour & Complexity:
From the get go – SPICE. This was one mean cigar from the second it touched my lips. The first third contained strong overtones of ammonia, pepper and spice. The second and third thirds was just spice pepper, losing the ammonia, and not much else. As I have previously said – not the most dynamic of cigars. It is similar in strength the Cain lines though I would say slightly more dynamic but not much. I toward the end, some of the flavours were becoming slightly stronger and harsher, so I tried purging the cigar to see if it improved it, however it didn’t and I was not able to purge it as no tar etc. came out.... it appears that this cigar has been well made.
Score: 24/30
Overall:
This is by no means a cigar I shall be buying a box of but, although I haven’t said the nicest things about it above, I did actually quite enjoy it. I will probably, at some point in the future, pick up a couple of these to sit in my humidor for when I need a full bodied cigar, as an alternative to the Cain cigars. I also think that over time these cigars will mellow a LITTLE and become a more enjoyable smoke. I cannot compliment this cigar enough on its construction. I have to say that this cigar is probably one of the best constructed cigars I have ever smoked.
Score 30/35
Total: 86
Please take a look at the photos in the gallery below.
| 2010-06-19 |
And no - i didnt really smoke the band - just messing :-p
) and nice review of your cigar...
Seems that Rocky keeps putting out average smokes now. I feel he needs to get back to his bread and butter blends. Like the Sun Grown,Decade, OWR and Indian tabac.
don TJ and the 
Coros
Comment